1 00:00:00.420 --> 00:00:04.040 Hey guys, I am back here with Sean Smith from Dedicated Financial, 2 00:00:04.140 --> 00:00:06.320 the CEO of Dedicated. So Sean, 3 00:00:06.470 --> 00:00:10.560 tell me what is it like being back in New York from Minnesota? I know you had a, 4 00:00:10.600 --> 00:00:13.520 a little bit of a travel, um, for Broker Fair this year. 5 00:00:13.910 --> 00:00:16.440 Well, first it was great getting off the plane and it was actually warm here, 6 00:00:16.660 --> 00:00:20.560 so I started thawing out as soon as I landed. But, uh, you know, 7 00:00:21.150 --> 00:00:24.480 I'll tell you what, we've been coming to everyday Bank show since inception, 8 00:00:24.970 --> 00:00:29.760 never missed an event, and it has been a, a critical event for us every year. 9 00:00:30.340 --> 00:00:34.640 And, uh, it's just led to so much growth and connections and relationships. 10 00:00:35.060 --> 00:00:38.840 So it's just exciting to be back. We love the big Apple. I mean, 11 00:00:39.270 --> 00:00:41.880 nothing beats it, right? So it's excited to be back. 12 00:00:42.420 --> 00:00:44.560 So tell me, we have a long day ahead of us. 13 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:47.080 What are you looking forward to most throughout the event today? 14 00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:52.040 I feel like I'm gonna not give the best example, just feeling like, uh, 15 00:00:52.040 --> 00:00:54.840 better on the block for a while, but just connecting with my friends, 16 00:00:54.900 --> 00:00:58.600 to be honest with you at this point, uh, you know, 17 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:02.160 being around this industry for the last 13 years, um, 18 00:01:02.160 --> 00:01:04.560 it's just seeing people that, you know, connecting, 19 00:01:04.820 --> 00:01:08.760 asking how people are doing right now, we're really relevant, unfortunately, 20 00:01:08.820 --> 00:01:12.280 or fortunately, depending on, on who you are. So I just, I, 21 00:01:12.360 --> 00:01:15.480 I love the connections that some of my best friends are here in New York. 22 00:01:15.880 --> 00:01:19.200 I know if I come into the city, my schedule's always gonna be busy, uh, 23 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:21.520 just like here. So it's just fun to connect with my friends and, 24 00:01:21.520 --> 00:01:24.160 and say hi and see how we're doing and how the business is. 25 00:01:24.620 --> 00:01:26.200 So being a veteran in the game, 26 00:01:27.060 --> 00:01:30.240 how has the industry kind of changed from when you first started to today? 27 00:01:31.550 --> 00:01:35.960 Yeah, I mean, there's just more businesses in the space, both in MySpace, 28 00:01:36.020 --> 00:01:40.600 in the funding space, in the broker space. It, it's, it's really packed in, um, 29 00:01:41.060 --> 00:01:45.960 it regulation oversight has come in and is trying to come in more, which, 30 00:01:46.220 --> 00:01:48.200 uh, I think is a good thing. Mm-hmm. Uh, 31 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:52.520 as long as we can work with the legislators to do it responsibly. Right. Um, 32 00:01:53.220 --> 00:01:56.920 and I think that with these kind of shaky times that we're going through right 33 00:01:56.920 --> 00:02:01.480 now, it may thin the hurt a little bit, uh, which can kind of be painful, 34 00:02:01.660 --> 00:02:06.120 but in that can be great opportunity, uh, for those who, uh, 35 00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:10.920 are nimble enough to pivot and, and to stay, uh, relevant. And honestly, 36 00:02:10.920 --> 00:02:14.200 I think the next biggest thing to be looking forward to is what's going on with 37 00:02:14.380 --> 00:02:17.800 ai. I think that is gonna change the game. It already is. 38 00:02:17.940 --> 00:02:21.720 And if you don't realize that you're, you're already missing the boat, really. 39 00:02:21.940 --> 00:02:23.680 It definitely is changing the game. 40 00:02:24.060 --> 00:02:28.440 And are there any hurdles that dedicated may have had to come over or 41 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:32.080 overcome, I should say? Um, going into 2023, 42 00:02:33.260 --> 00:02:37.560 Our biggest one is growth. Mm-hmm. And so I'm really in the process of, uh, 43 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:42.560 growing the office to over 160 person office when most 44 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:46.360 people are setting people home, working remote, downsizing their office, 45 00:02:46.360 --> 00:02:49.520 things like that. But just due to economic times, 46 00:02:50.060 --> 00:02:52.160 our volume has dramatically increased. Mm-hmm. 47 00:02:52.340 --> 00:02:54.680 And so the hurdle has been being here, 48 00:02:55.180 --> 00:02:59.680 but still working with someone as I get my old space subleased as I build out my 49 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:00.760 new space, you know what I mean? 50 00:03:00.760 --> 00:03:05.200 It's just like fast growth time for us and doing that responsibly and doing it 51 00:03:05.200 --> 00:03:06.080 well for our clients. 52 00:03:06.430 --> 00:03:08.800 Well, you put on a pretty good game phase. So I, 53 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:11.120 I hope the event goes well for you today, Sean, 54 00:03:11.500 --> 00:03:14.960 and you make a ton of connections and I will see you throughout the event. 55 00:03:14.980 --> 00:03:16.840 Thanks Anaya. Appreciate it. Of course. Thank you.